Magazine
Idealist Idealist is a site for “idealists,” as they put it. In addition to listings for jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, and events, Idealist also has information on over 120,000 organizations. Users can search through opportunities by picking categories of Government, Nonprofit, Consultant, Recruiter, or Social Enterprise. Additionally, users can also search by type of employment (Full Time, Part Time), location, professional level, and education so that job-searchers can find a position or opportunity that best fits with their experience and ... Read more
Within the field of international development, there are several focus areas that development professionals can choose to work in. Many of the areas overlap each other, and all of them come together to create comprehensive, sustainable development. However, specific knowledge and skills can be helpful within each area. Knowing about each field can help you choose a career path within development that fits best with your interests and skills. Economics Economics is the most commonly thought of area of international ... Read more
The world of humanitarian work has undergone significant changes in the last few decades. With a massive increase in the number of qualified, intelligent individuals entering the talent pool, finding and securing a job has become a much more challenging (and often daunting) task. Because of the large supply of workers, agencies, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and INGOs (international non-governmental organizations) have become enabled to professionalize the aid sector- a sector that was once run almost entirely by volunteers and individuals ... Read more
AidBoard Aidboard is a fast growing career website for international development aid and humanitarian jobs. But it doesn’t stop there. The website also maintains directories of courses, scholarships, internships, traineeships, fellowships and more. The listings are updated every week to ensure accurate and most up to date information. With very competitive pricing for recruiters and no paywalls Aidboard is one of the best resources for international development jobs. Relief Web Relief Web is a site designed to help aid workers ... Read more
In addition to the plethora of compelling documentaries, there is a long list of Hollywood films that dared to portray some of the worst humanitarian crises and human rights violations as integral elements of their plots. The following five, in particular, focus on series of events that happened not so long ago. In fact, the after affects of these crises continue to dramatically impact many individuals, communities, countries, and regions around the world. Hotel Rwanda Hotel Rwanda is a famous ... Read more
Although there are many popular examples of international development organizations such as the American Refugee Committee, the United States Agency for International Development, World Bank, Oxfam or CARE, it is common that many people do not know precisely what it is that these organizations work to accomplish. Though the work that international development organizations do is vast and broad in spectrum, it can be described in a simple way that encompasses the driving forces of this type of work; international ... Read more
Getting your first job in the humanitarian field is hard as it is, but gaining that invaluable (and, frankly, extremely necessary) field experience is another game. Over the past few decades, it has become increasingly competitive and challenging to get your first field experience- especially if you want a proper job that lasts longer than one month. In order to prepare yourself to be an optimal candidate, you need to pursue the right education, and demonstrate that you are dedicated ... Read more
Offered by the Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Science and housed within The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University offers a 30-credit Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies (MSHS) to educate the next generation of humanitarian professionals. The MSHS is an innovative graduate program dedicated exclusively to international humanitarian response. Students can choose a concentration in one of three areas: Human Rights, Communities and Capacity Building, or Livelihoods and Institutions. The program combines theoretical analysis with ... Read more
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier In his book, The Bottom Billion, Oxford University economics professor Paul Collier discusses the reasons why many impoverished countries cannot progress, even with international aid and support. He states that almost 60 countries, home to about 1 billion people, who had been unable to experience economic growth throughout the 80s and 90s. He focuses on the idea of “development traps,” or ... Read more
